Stabilized hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent containing castor oil



I 2,715,538 STABILIZED 'HEXYLRESORCINOL THERAPEUTIC AGENT CONTAINING CASTOR OIL Arthur Boskamp, Lockstedter Lager, Holstein, Germany N Drawing. Application April 30, 1952, Serial No. 285,331

Claims priority, application Germany June 4, 1951 4 Claims. (Cl. 167-55) The present invention relates to means for using the therapeutic proper-ties of hexylresorcinol, which up to the present time were not fully utilized because of certain properties of hexylresorcinol.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stabilized hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent which remains stable upon standing for long periods of time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent which has prolonged activity in the digestive tract of the patient and is therefore an excellent anthelmintic.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic article of manufacture in which the stabilized hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent may be utilized for treatment.

With the'above objects in view, the present invention mainly comprises a stable hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent essentially consisting of a solution of hexylresorcinol dissolved in castor oil.

It has been found preferable to utilize as the therapeutic agent a solution of hexylresorcinol in castor oil wherein the concentration of this solution is one part hexylresorcinol per two parts of castor oil.

The therapeutic article of manufacture according to the present invention comprises a capsule; and a solution of hexylresorcinol in castor oil contained in said capsule, the hexylresorcinol in said solution being prevented by the castor oil from reacting with the capsule and the hexylresorcinol having prolonged activity in the patient due to the castor oil solvent.

This has been found particularly advantageous in the use of the normal gelatin capsule which cannot be used for hexylresorcinol because of the instability of hexylresorcinol when contacted with gelatin. It has been previously attempted to overcome this difliculty by utilizing a protective layer in the gelatin capsule before placing the hexylresorcinol therein. However, this involves expense and also difiiculties of manufacture.

The use of castor oil solutions of hexylresorcinol is highly advantageous as a therapeutic agent. The castor oil is very poorly absorbed in the stomach and intestinal tract of the human being and therefore is caused the hexylresorcinol dissolved therein to be carried throughout the stomach and intestinal tract, thereby causing the hexylresorcinol to be very slowly absorbed and have prolonged action in the body.

Hexylresorcinol has been known for a long time to have excellent anthelrnintic properties, especially as against ascaris and oxyures-type parasites.

For this purpose hexylresorcinol was carried in capsules which are dissolved in the intestine thereby bringing the hexylresorcinol into action in the intestine. Gelatin capsules were utilized for this purpose, since they are the most common and are if hardened, not absorbed until they reach the duodenum.

However, it was found that after a period of a month or so the hexylresorcinol reacted with the gelatin of the United States Patent Patented "Dec. 325, ,1

capsule so that the capsule became blacli'and pasty. It was therefore impractical to utilize gelatin capsules as a means of carrying hexylresorcinol because such capsules cannot be stored for any period of time.

To overcome this difiiculty the hexylresorcinol was first rolled into a pill and in this form placed in a gelatin capsule so as to prevent the hexylresorcinol from reacting with the gelatin capsule while the gelatin capsule causes the hexylresorcinol to be brought to action in the intestines. However, this process is expensive and impractical.

Hexylresorcinol is poorly soluble in mineral oils and is somewhat soluble in vegetable oils. However, hexylresorcinol is only extremely soluble in castor oil. Solutions of hexylresorcinol in vegetable oils could not be used as therapeutic agents because the vegetable oils are to a great extent absorbed in the stomach or intestine so that in solution with such vegetable oils the hexylresorcinol is simultaneously absorbed with the oil and the anthelmintic action thereof is thereby lost.

It was found by the present invention however, that hexylresorcinol is extremely soluble in castor oil, which is a vegetable oil, but that castor oil acts in the body much like a mineral oil in that it is very poorly absorbed in the digestive tract. Therefore, solutions of hexylresorcinol in castor oil are extremely effective as anthelmintics.

It was discovered further by the present invention that hexylresorcinol is very soluble in castor oil and further that a solution of hexylresorcinol in castor oil could be held in gelatin capsules without any reaction between the hexylresorcinol and the gelatin of the capsule. It was further found that the use of a solution of hexylresorcinol in castor oil protects the hexylresorcinol from light, hexylresorcinol being extremely light-sensitive.

Preferably, the hexylresorcinol is dissolved in the castor oil by heating the castor oil in a water bath so that the temperature of the castor oil is not higher than the melting point of the hexylresorcinol (67-68 C.), and preferably is about 50" C.

Solutions containing about 1 part hexylresorcinol per two parts of castor oil have been found to be most eifective, although the concentration may vary between wide limits. The resulting clear oil solution can be easily poured into gelatin or other capsules, such as pectin and pectin derivatives and compounds thereof, and the thus prepared capsule containing the castor oil solution of hexylresorcinol is very stable. If desired, brown capsules may be used so as to even further protect the hexylresorcinol from light, although the light-sensitivity is extremely lessened by dissolving the same in castor oil.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A stable hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent for internal administration consisting of a solution of hexylresorcinol dissolved in castor oil.

2. A stable hexylresorcinol therapeutic agent for internal administration consisting of a solution of one part hexylresorcinol dissolved in two parts castor oil.

3. A therapeutic article of manufacture, comprising, in combination, a gelatin capsule; and a solution of hexylresorcinol in castor oil contained in said capsule, said hexylresorcinol in said solution being prevented by said castor oil from reacting with said gelatin capsule.

4. A therapeutic article of manufacture, comprising,

combination, agelatin capsule; and a solution of one References Cited in the file of this patent part hexylresorcinol dissolved in two parts castor oil con- UNITED STATES PATENTS tained in said capsule, said hexyh-esorcinol in said solution being prevented by said castor oil from reacting with said 1087843 smith 1914 gelatin capsule. 5 1,649,671 Dohme Nov.15, 1927 OTHER REFERENCES U. S. Dispensatory, 24th ed. (1947), pp. 534, 535. 

1. A STABLE HEXYLRESORCINOL THERAPEUTIC AGENT FOR INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION CONSISTING OF A SOLUTION OF HEXYLRESORCINOL DISSOLVED IN CASTOR OIL. 